24.2.17

Once you are done with the walled "official" gallery, make sure to book some time and explore the area randomly - which is the best and only approach that works. A lovely middle-aged gay couple rom New York stopped us to inquire where to go for more walls, to which we answered to be checking out with no plan :) this is part of the beauty of travel, getting lost is a great way to find yourself. Well not too lost... That's panic mode, yes I trust you get the point.

22.2.17

Artsy neighborhoods often hide pearls like Walt Grace Vintage. Store concepts that you have never seen and probably will never see again. This is why I love them so much...Walt Grace Vintage is a unique gallery focuses exclusively on the finest investment grade automobiles and vintage guitars. Over 25 years buying, selling and collecting, they procure the finest examples of both for their collection. Lovely place where both discerning buyers and casual observers can experience the beauty and artistry, common to vintage cars and vintage guitars.

The store is located right after you exit Wynwood Walls, make sure to drop by.

This post goes to our friend Mario, huge fan of cars and guitars, as well as the one who introduced me to Enrique more than 10 years ago. Mario, we hope you can visit this place one day, we could only think of you while exploring it - but make sure to come after you reach some kind of C-Level position somewhere, to actually be able to afford something... Otherwise it will be extremely painful, so we rather encourage you to avoid it.

Wynwood is a district in Miami where street art beats Berlin. Sorry Banksy, but seriously the size and condition of these murals are something new to me. We started exploring the area with the main hub, where a collection of selected walls is showcased together with a small museum where one can see the work of the same artists in alternative media. Very cool experience to go from mural into wall painting or sculpture.

Wynwood Walls [WEB] opens 12-20, Wed-Sat - for more Miami goodness, checkout our Miami Guide!!! We went there by rental car, but Uber is also a good choice if you won't move much further.

19.2.17

Bass Museum of Art was unfortunately under renovation when we visited in December 2016, but guy's don't miss the big opening in Spring 2017, when it will re-open after renovation, as the largest art museum education facility in Miami-Dade. What we managed to visit is the temporary exhibition at the Miami Beach Regional Library space, in conjunction with the outdoor exhibits laid gracefully in the park by the entrance. Out of them all, the colossal colorful stack by Ugo Rondinone stole my heart.

Ugo Rondinone (born 1964) is a Swiss-born mixed-media artist living in New York. His work frequently employs the experiential qualities of the everyday, often reflecting on the boundaries between fiction and reality. The cairn in Miami is small sample of his work, with the masterpiece Seven Magic Mountains, currently on display along Interstate 15 just south of Las Vegas (May 2016, May 2018). This installation of seven neon stone cairns painted in artificially bright yellows, purples and other colors is constructed from car-size stone cut from a Nevada quarry and stacked 10m high.

A cairn is a man-made pile or stack of stones. The word cairn comes from the Scottish Gaelic: Càrn (plural cairn) which translates to "heap, pile up, accumulate" or more literally "heap of stones". Cairns historically have been used for a broad variety of purposes, from prehistoric times through present day. Dating back to prehistory, examples of cairns can be found having been used for many functions including those built as burial monuments, defense and hunting structures; ceremonial assemblies; astronomical formations and location markers (specifically for buried items such as caches of food or objects) as well as trail markers, among others. In modern times, cairns are most frequently used as trail markers throughout many parts of the world, in diverse climates and terrains. They vary in size and complexity, from loose conical rock piles to delicately balanced sculptures and elaborate feats of megalithic engineering. Occasionally, cairns are also decorated, either for increased visibility or religious reasons.

In addition to Rondinone's work, the park is full of interesting pieces - being the lady of Avocado our second favourite! For other cool spots, recommendations & maps - check out our Miami guide post!

6.2.17

Affectionately known as the "Art Deco" District, the Miami Beach Archirectural District embodies the design continuum of the city from its early development period in the 1910s to the construction boom following World War II.

South Beach was reborn as an ArtDeco haven after a hurricane in 1926 destroyed much of the city. A decade of intense building later, Miami became home of the world's largest collection of Art deco architecture - 960 spectacular buildings in total.

The district was listed on the National register of Historic Places in 1979 largely through the efforts of Barbara Baer Capitman, founder of the Miami Design Preservation League. At the time, it was the youngest district on the National register as many of the buildings had not yet reached 50 years of age.